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Mike Donovan
Profile = |-| Killer = Michael "Mike" Donovan (aka Father Donovan in Darkly Dreaming Dexter) was a pastor and choir conductor, who had raped and murdered at least three young boys (seven in the novels) and buried their bodies underneath an abandoned house. He was also the first person (not chronologically) to be killed by Dexter in both the novel series and the Showtime series. Appearance Donovan is a man in his mid-40's with whitened black hair and a wide smile. He dressed in the best suits for a pastor but he drives an average vehicle. Personality Donovan leads a double life...acting as both a father, husband and pastor in the public eye...while also having dark urges to rape and murder young boys. When confronted with these dark truths, he denies them...closing his eyes in fear of seeing again what he had done to these poor children. But when faced with this reality, he admits that he couldn't help himself...questioning Dexter as to why he does what he does. Dexter tells him that he can't help himself either...but never could do this to children, never. He's a cowardly man when put in the face of danger...but in the novels, just before Dexter kills him...it is assumed he thanks Dexter under his breathe for "freeing him of his Dark Passenger". Dexter replies by saying "You're Welcome", before he goes to work...killing Donovan. Dexter's Description "His name was Father Donovan. He taught music to the children at St. Anthony's Orphanage in Homestead, Florida. The children loved him. And of course he loved the children, oh very much indeed. He had devoted a whole life to them. Learned Creole and Spanish. Learned their music, too. All for the kids. Everything he did, it was all for the Kids. Everything" History "Open your eyes and look at what you did!" - Dexter Mike Donovan had already killed at least 3 young boys before Dexter killed him, the names of his victims were Corey Balanti, Tyler Kale and Joe Bigalow. He is, however, living a double life as a choir conductor and pastor with a wife and 2 children whilst also being a relatively spontaneous serial killer. Plot "Soon you'll be wrapped into a few... neatly wrapped hefties and my own small corner of the world will be a neater and happier place... a better place." Showtime Series During the first minutes of the episode, Donovan entered his Volvo after a choir performance, where Dexter was waiting in the backseat; after Donovan started the engine, he choked him with a garrote wire, and ordered him to drive to an abandoned house which Donovan had previously rented and buried the bodies in the outskirts of Miami. There, Dexter forced Donovan to look at three of his victims' bodies whereby Donovan pleaded with him for his life and asked him to understand, to which Dexter replied that he did. Then Dexter used a syringe to sedate him. Dexter took Donovan to the second floor of the house, where he covered the room with plastic sheets and garbage bags and duct-taped him to a table in the center of room. After taking a blood slide through a scalpel cut, Dexter killed him by cutting his neck with a bonesaw whilst still alive. Later, Donovan's wife came to the police station looking for him...to which Dexter noticed as well as nearby James Doakes, whom commented on Dexter's observation of the distrout widow. Darkly Dreaming Dexter Dexter goes on to describe both his urge to kill and the night in which he targets his prey, mentiong "Father Donovan" as the next person meant for his table. He describes Donovan as a family man who would do anything for children...and that means anything. He watches him with a young girl, whom he jokes and laughs with...then letting a nun take her away as the group smiles at one another. After talking a bit with a janitor, he moves on into his vehicle where Dexter makes his move, pulling a line of fishing wire over his neck. Dexter orders him to follow his every command, which Donovan resists for a short while despite his fear...but eventually he caves in and drives out closer and closer to the abandoned house where he murdered seven young boys. Dexter forces him into a house, making him look at what he's done...saying it's essential not for him, not for the kill...but for Donovan himself to see what he's there for. Dexter eventually injects Donovan, before setting him up in the kill room to be dealt with. Before Dexter kills Donovan, he whispers something twice that is assumed to be thanks for killing him...meaning he regrets the dark urges that brought him into an act of murder in the first place. Quotes * "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is..." * "I couldn't help myself, I just couldn't... please you have to understand!" Category:Characters Category:Characters killed by Dexter Category:Season 1 characters Category:Serial killers Category:Characters from the dexter book series